1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of conservation tillage, and more particularly, minimum- or no-till agriculture. The invention is drawn to a low disturbance attachment for agricultural seeding equipment to prevent or substantially reduce seeding equipment plugging in heavy crop residue conditions.
2. Description of Related Art
The benefits of conservation tillage, whether it be reduced tillage, minimum tillage, or no-till, have been well documented for most agricultural regions of the United States and for the world. These benefits include, but are not limited to, maintaining or increasing soil organic matter, increasing water infiltration rates, reducing wind and water erosion, reducing runoff, decreasing energy and power requirements, and limiting the number of farm operations required to raise a crop. Despite these advantages, the percentage of no-till farmland in the United States is only about 15%. The limited adoption of this practice is due not only to economic and agronomic concerns, but also to the lack of trouble-free, reliable seeding equipment for planting into heavy residue. Commercial shank- and disc-type no-till drills were developed primarily for low crop residue conditions for crops planted in wide rows. In heavy crop residue or when row spacing is narrow, shank-type drills are prone to plugging, causing operator frustration and reducing field capacity. They also tend to cause large piles of residue to form which cover the crop row and choke out young seedlings. Another problem with shank-type drills is that the furrow-opening shank disturbs the soil with sufficient force such that the uncontrolled soil is thrown out of the seed furrow and occasionally onto the adjacent seed row. This problem adversely affects seeding depth and seedling emergence. Disc-type drills are prone to hair-pinning straw into the seed furrow, rather than placing seed into moist soil with good seed to soil contact.
A trouble-free planting system that will reliably seed into heavy crop residue does not exist in the marketplace today. Attachments, such as specially shaped shank shrouds, are available; however, they are not particularly effective. Pairs of spiked wheels operating in front of the furrow-opening device are conceptually similar to the present invention; however, these row cleaners move the crop residue away from the furrow-opening device, rather than simply holding it in place. Row cleaners work well for wide-row, low-residue crops; however, for narrow-row heavy residue crops such as wheat, the residue is moved from one row to an adjacent row, the action causing problems with clogging and seedling emergence. These row cleaners also tend to disturb the soil surface. This disturbance decreases soil aggregate size and makes the soil surface more vulnerable to erosion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,890 discloses a row cleaning apparatus comprising a pair of pointedly toothed wheels to selectively clean away mulch from conservation tilled fields without cultivation of the soil. U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,995 discloses an apparatus having a spring mechanism that may be adjusted as necessary to change the downward or upward force exerted on the implement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,236 teaches a seed drill equipped with an array of forwardly located trash disks in order to clear trash in the immediate vicinity ahead of each double disk furrow-opening assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,911 discloses a clearing wheel having peripheral teeth for clearing mulch and a means for attaching the clearing assembly. Each of the cited patents addresses the problems of clearing and planting using minimum- or no-till methods. The cited patents do not teach an apparatus that can plant through light and heavy residue using minimum- or no-till methods.
We have now discovered a flexible ground-driven residue management attachment to be used in conjunction with any seeding unit for conservation tillage planting. The attachment comprises a flexible-fingered wheel that is positioned adjacent to the furrow opener of the seeding unit and is designed to pin the crop residue to the ground as the furrow opener drills the row. The fingered wheel operates in tandem with a resilient ring (tire) that rotates together with the wheel and acts as a spacer and helps to position the flexible fingered wheel such that the fingers are engaged in firm, undisturbed soil. The attachment is designed to swing free of accumulated residue, rocks or other obstacles encountered by the wheel.
The general aim of the present invention is to provide a low disturbance attachment for agricultural seeding equipment for use in minimum- or no-till agricultural applications.
An object of the invention is to prevent or substantially reduce seeding equipment plugging in heavy crop residue conditions.
Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment that allows the seeding equipment to be used for crops, such as wheat, that are grown in narrow-spaced rows.
A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment that helps to reduce the number and size of piles which form behind the seeding device and controls the soil so that it stays within the seed row.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a flexible fingered wheel that holds down residue as the seeder advances, in place of the prior art equipment, which move residue to the sides of the rows during planting.
An advantage of the residue management wheel of the invention is that it can be used with high efficacy in either low or high residue field conditions.
Another advantage of the residue management wheel of the present invention is that it may be used with any furrow-opening device.
An additional advantage of the residue management wheel of the present invention is that it works reliably in uneven terrain, such as large clods of dirt, rocks, or piles of residue.